


Don't let it burn, don't let it fade (reupload)

by AxisMage



Series: The Seasons through Opal [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Casual Sex, Dick is a nurse, Hospitals, Jason is a resident, Linebreaks, Linebreaks in erratic places, M/M, Mentions of brudick, Reuploaded fic, mentions of Birdflash, not as angst as it sounds, reupload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:14:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28227462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxisMage/pseuds/AxisMage
Summary: It has been a while since Dick has felt so much attraction in such a short amount of time. He can't look away. He doesn't want to look away, and he wonders why he didn't come watch a staff game sooner.Reuploaded fic.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Mentions of past Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson
Series: The Seasons through Opal [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1380139
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	Don't let it burn, don't let it fade (reupload)

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a new work by any means. I'd uploaded it over a year ago and then deleted because of inner struggles. Earlier today I found it in an old email... and turns out it's not that bad a fic, so here we go. 
> 
> There are quite a few mentions of past brudick and a couple of past birdflash, so you might want to click out now if that bothers you.

Dick takes an immediate liking to ER nurse Roy Harper. The redhead, much like Wally, seems to be a man after his own heart. It’s difficult for Dick not to smile as soon as Wally introduces the two of them and Roy does more than give him a cold and simple handshake. When Roy sees him walking down a hall a few days later and doesn't hesitate before slinging an arm around his shoulders and inviting him to a staff basketball game, Dick knows he and this man are going to become incredible friends.

“Who’s going to be there?” Dick asks with genuine curiosity. Roy said ‘staff’. For a split second he thinks that if Bruce is included in said category –even though it sounds more than impossible– he has to head down and see the game.

“You know, everyone who can make it and who works in the ER,” Roy explains. Dick’s enthusiasm drops right away. “My fellow nurses, interns, senior physicians. Even the head of our department drops by whenever she can, and people from all over the hospital come by to watch the games too. They can play if they wish too.”

Dick’s interest rears its silly head back up. “Oh, really? You ever get any of the neurology people down there?”

“Why do a get the feeling you’re wondering about someone in particular?”

Dick gives him a lopsided smile. “Neurosurgery. You see them often?”

“You can come to the game this weekend and find out.”

He disentangles himself from Roy’s hug once they’re in front of the elevator at the end of the hall. He punches in his floor number. “I have plans.”

“Lies.”

“… What did West tell you?”

Roy gives an impish smile, then spins on his heel. “Nothing. It was a wild guess. So, see you this weekend?”

Dick rolls his eyes for an answer. Roy lets out a long-suffering sigh but doesn't say anything either. Dick believes this is where the issue will die.

Turns out it doesn't die. Because, turns out, Roy sics Wally and himself on Dick for the following three or so weeks. Neither redhead is subtle about the hints they drop, or why they bring up a basketball game. Dick, for the most part, ignores the hints and invitations. Sure, it might seem like a good opportunity to meet even more people and make some new friends, but he’s never been a big fan of basketball… or any ball related stuff. It’s not that he’s bad at playing, or that he doesn't like meeting new people and seeing new places, it’s just that he would rather spend time alone or with Wally somewhere quiet instead of what is for sure a loud street court. He has enough noise at home, after all.

By the middle of the third week, Roy and Wally seem to be giving up on him. Dick is both amused and relieved that he’s not being dragged to see a game anymore.

Of course, then Bruce catches him on a Wednesday and drops the freaking bomb.

“You haven’t seen the ER personnel’s games?” is the greeting he receives. 

Dick glances at him out of the corner of his eye, keeps on walking to the locker room. “Don't tell me there’s a rumor about me and the basketball games going on.”

“In a way. I heard your friend talking to another nurse a few days ago.”

“Was the nurse as redheaded as my friend, whose name is West, by the way?”

Dick can _feel_ Bruce’s lips pursing. “Yes.”

“That’s Harper. The two of them have been wanting me to go see a game or two.”

“It seems they have been asking for a while and you are still refusing.”

Dick shrugs. “I met Harper the week after we came back from Metropolis. He started inviting me and West joined in. I find that odd, given until Harper brought it up, West hadn’t mentioned said games. At all.”

Bruce tenses at the mention of Metropolis, and Dick bites his tongue for having mentioned it. It’s not like they’ve talked about what happened during the weekend of the forum, and it’s not like either of them had wanted to talk about it; Bruce because he’s physically incapable of approaching most subjects and Dick because he’s simply not interested. He’d had fun, Bruce had had fun – as much as he was capable of, anyway – and that was it. Dick hasn’t gone back to his place, Bruce hasn’t asked him to, and it’s not like they have a lot of time to chat between shifts and in the halls. In fact, this is the longest conversation they’ve had since Bruce inquired about his living arrangements the morning he caught Dick cursing his beer-stained scrubs.

“Have you ever been to one of the games?” Dick asks. They turn the last corner leading to the lockers.

“I was dragged to one my first year here, yes.”

“Just one?”

“I find the sport quite unentertaining and repetitive. Besides, I believe my time is better spent elsewhere.”

“Plus you’d have to socialize and God forbid you from doing that outside the OR.”

Bruce exhales through his nose. “I believe you think in a similar way to mine when it comes to attending these events.”

“I’d rather be home or sitting in a park somewhere instead of a street court, yep.”

“I share the sentiment. However, you are not me, and if your housing arrangements are as terrible as you say, a night watching a game with your… comrades might be better than going home.”

Dick stops in front of his door, seizes Bruce up. “Are you encouraging me to go and have fun, Dr. Wayne? You?”

Bruce’s hands fist at his sides. “Do it. Don't do it,” he grunts. Dick gets a glimpse of what might be either defeat or exasperation in his eyes, then he’s striding further down the hall, posture stiff.

Dick starts to wonder what he missed. Does he really want to know? He supposes not.

Bruce’s words linger, though, and Dick has sort of made up his mind by the time Roy approaches him once more, this time informing Dick they’re heading out for chicken wings right after the game.

“Losing team pays, and they’re the best wings in the whole damn city,” Roy informs him.

“And you’re inviting me because…?”

“Whether my team wins or loses we’re all going to get some nice dinner later and its sort of become a bet with West whether I can get you to go down to the game or not.”

Bruce’s words sound in his head once more, louder this time, and he thinks about it for a mere heartbeat before nodding. “Yeah, I’ll go.”

Roy pauses. “You mean it?”

“Yeah.” Dick offers him a smile, then stop in front of one of his patient’s door and steps inside. Time to start making his rounds.

He tells Wally he’s going to the game on Friday night, right as they’re slipping back into their regular clothes. When he does, Wally stumbles over the jeans he’s trying to pull up.

“You’re not seriously going,” he says, brow knitting.

“Oh, I am,” Dick informs. He finishes dressing, then shoves his scrubs into his bag and slams his locker closed. “Just to make sure Roy wins whatever bet you made.”

“Do you have any idea how shitty a friend that would make you?”

“Well, betting on me was a shitty thing from the start,” Dick retorts but there’s a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Wally looks stricken… a nanosecond before he burst out laughing. “Fine, you fucking traitor. Fine. Attend the damn game. I’ll go with you, and I’ll give Roy his stupid money before he boasts about it tomorrow.”

Dick tucks an imaginary lock of hair behind his ear, eyes shining. “How much are you going to lose?”

“I’m not going to tell you.”

“Please tell me you didn’t bet the two hundred dollars you needed for that new designer jacket you wanted.”

Wally stays silent. Dick groans, shoves at Wally’s shoulder before he heads for the door.

“Are you reconsidering going to the game?” Wally asks hopefully.

“No. I’m thinking about how badly I wanted to steal the jacket the moment you got it.”

This time, Wally is the one who groans. Dick merely hides a laugh behind a hand. However, he ends up moaning once more the moment they exit the hospital. It’s hot. So hot. He’s still not used to the horrible and warm humidity of this place. He wonders how much worse it’s going to be in a court full of sweaty people, even if it’s outdoors. 

The answer is, curiously enough, not that much worse.

The court being outdoors helps a lot, Dick realizes the moment they slip past the considerable crowd gathered around the court. Wally weaves them through the people surrounding the bleachers on one side, stops only once they’ve reached the middle of the lowest bleachers. There, Dick sees a bunch of bags, towels, water bottles and…

Oh, would you look at the man standing right next to Roy.

Dick’s eyes widen, he can't help it, and the first thing that comes to mind is, _why haven’t I seen this man before?_

There’s no way he would have missed the man laughing and shoving at Roy’s shoulders. Granted, he was shirtless, sweaty, with a bandana wrapped around his forehead to push back his black and… white? hair. With a towel thrown over one shoulder and the sweatpants hanging low on his hips, Dick knew that, at least, he wouldn’t forget to look for him at the hospital next week.

“Hey, you came!” Roy exclaims, pushing away from the shirtless man once he catches a glimpse of Dick and Wally approaching. He motions them over, and Dick is the first one to move. Fortunately, Roy doesn’t waste any time introducing Dick to the shirtless man.

“Jay, this is Dick Grayson and Wally West. Dick, Walls, this is Jason Todd, ER resident,” Roy says.

Dick stores the information away for later inspection, along with a promise to visit the ER more often. He offers a smile, does as discreet job as he can of checking Jason out. There’s a lot to see, and he already likes every solid, thick inch that’s on display.

Jason tears off his bandana, allowing Dick to see that his hair is, in fact, white at the front, before he re-ties it and shoots them an almost wild smile, an energetic nod.

“West. I’ve heard about you,” he says. Wally waves. “Grayson. You must be the new guy.”

“If nearly four months at the hospital means I’m still the new guy, sure,” Dick says.

“Until the rumor mill, and by that I mean Roy, finds someone newer to talk about, you’re the new guy,” Jason replies. He jerks his chin in direction of the court, where it looks like teams are already forming for a new game. “You game? ER versus whoever wants to join.”

“You played ICU and Hematology already?” Wally asks.

“Yup. We won both games,” Roy informs, although it’s obvious by his clothes and lack of physical exhaustion that he hasn’t been playing.

Wally holds up his hands, grimacing. “In that case, no thank you. Normal people would be exhausted after two games, but you guys seem to suck up the pain of the other team’s loss and turn it into even more energy.”

Roy snorts. Jason just stands there. “So?” he prompts, and he’s looking straight at Dick as he says it.

Dick has never been the biggest fan of sports involving balls. He could play them well enough back in high school, but he’s pretty rusty by now. He’s not even sure he remembers what the rules for basketball are.

He ends up dropping his backpack anyway.

“Show me what the fearsome ER team can do,” he says.

A challenging smile tugs at the corner of Jason’s lips, and he picks up what looks like a green undershirt from a pile on the floor. “Gear up, Grayson,” he says. He heads to the court without a backward glance. Dick takes the opportunity to notice Jason and his loose sweatpants look as good from behind as they did from the front.

“You’re going to get your ass handed to you,” Wally tells him, shaking his head.

Dick nods at Roy. “Roy promised me free chicken wings no matter who won. I don’t mind if I get my ass kicked,” he tells the two redheads. He slips the shirt over his head, then joins the other people clad in green in the middle of the court.

Once the game starts, it’s quite easy to end up as Jason’s mark. It looks like Dick is the only one who hasn’t neither seen nor played a game, because they all steer clear of Jason and try their damnedest to keep the ball away from him.

After Jason shoots three consecutive three-pointers, Dick realizes why. Had he gotten into the game to play seriously, he would be worried and tried harder to block Jason’s path. As it is, Dick is happy letting Jason steal the ball from him and do all the cool jumping and dribbling. He gets to be closer to Jason. He gets to ogle. He could touch if he wanted to, but Dick thinks it would be pushing it too far. Tonight, he’s just observing.

The game ends sooner than Dick would like. He’s sweating bullets by the time he follows Jason back to the bleachers, where Jason hands him a clean towel and proceeds to pat himself dry with his bandana. Dick’s eyes follow the same path as the bandana. It’s a really gorgeous one.

“You’re insatiable,” Wally laughs, passing him his water bottle. Dick drinks nearly all of it, the hits Wally’s shoulder with it. “Ow.”

“Whoops.”

“Uh-huh, whoops. It’s not my fault you’re being so obvious.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Wally leans back on the bleachers, spreads out his arms and gives a very distracted Jason a onceover. “Of course you don’t. You work fast, not that I’m judging you. It’s kind of admirable, really.”

Dick hits him with the bottle again. Before he can pull on Wally’s ear, Jason calls his name. Dick turns to find him already in a hoodie and sweatpants, pushing hair back from his face.

“Roy says you’re joining us for chicken wings?” Jason asks.

“Yeah, he said he’d treat me,” Dick replies, sliding an arm over Roy’s shoulders and leaning their heads together before Roy could do more than open his mouth. “Didn’t you?” he adds, giving Roy his best puppy eyes.

Roy doesn’t fall for it. “That’s not what I said, but all right, Baby Blues, I’ll treat you. Walls, you coming?”

Wally gives Dick a look, while Jason gives Roy one. Dick gives an innocent smile.

“I’m going to call it a night,” Wally announces. He gets to his feet, leans forward to pull on Dick’s ear. “Make sure to get at least a couple hours of sleep tonight, you hear me?”

“Yes, dad.” Wally rolls his eyes, then bids the others goodbye. Dick waves until Wally has left the court. He pulls away from Roy and grins at them both. He notices Jason’s careful gaze on him. “Shall we?”

The restaurant they go to isn’t far away from the court. A lot of ER staff and people from other departments head home, less than half of all the people make their way to the little restaurant. It’s quite busy, and yet the people working seem too familiar with the rowdy and tired crowd that comes inside. They break into smaller groups to fit into the table. Naturally, Dick ends in a small booth with Roy and Jason

“I take it you come here often,” Dick says, scooting over on his side of the booth to allow Jason to sit next to him. Roy takes the seat on the other side of the slim table, studies the two of them before answering Dick’s question.

“Almost every week. It’s sort of our hangout place.”

“Just for the ER people?”

“Anyone is welcome here,” Jason says. He spreads out his arms on the back of the booth, throws his head back. Dick follows the line of his neck with his gaze. “Including you. Roy and I are always looking for new drinking buddies.”

“Not that we actually drink,” Roy adds, amused. “Jay here has a moral stick up his ass when it comes to that, and I… well, let’s say I don’t like to.”

“His wife and kid would pull his ears out of his head if he came home drunk, you see,” Jason says. Dick can't see his face, but his tone is serious.

Dick’s mouth drops. “You’re married?” he croaks, and feels himself starting to blush. Had he played with a married man not half an hour ago? And the other day at the hospital? And had Roy gone with it?

Roy must notice something in his expression because he gives him a reassuring smile. “Hey, don’t look so appalled. I am married yes, and I do have a daughter.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Jason raises his head, snorts. “Why? Were you planning on getting cozy with Roy?”

“No, but I have been more friendly than I should have with a married man.”

Both Roy and Jason burst out laughing. Dick fumes. Eventually, Jason slides his arm down, slings it across Dick’s shoulders and pulls him close so he can whisper in his ear. “I didn’t see Roy pull away from you back at the court, but not to worry. He and Donna have been together since before Lian was born. You see, Lian is from a previous relationship, but the mother never wanted the child and they agreed beforehand that Roy would take the baby. Donna is Lian’s real mother and Roy’s life partner, and he loves them both to death. Literally, I’d dare say.”

Dick is distracted by the smell of cologne and sweat for a few seconds. Then he becomes distracted by their proximity. He frowns, wonders if Jason’s always this friendly or if Jason picked up on his not-so-subtle ogling at the court. He hopes it’s the second, then smiles to himself. It’s been… a while, since Dick’s felt so… interested… so soon.

“What about you?” Dick finally hears his own voice say. He’s leaned in closer to Jason, almost brushing their noses. “Are you married?” If he is, Dick is going to get up, walk out of there and find a job in another hospital. The embarrassment would be too much.

“Married?” Jason echoes. He tilts his head to one side, doesn’t pull away. When he speaks again, Dick feels his breath against his face. “I’m too busy for something as serious as marriage.”

“Oh, are you?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What a coincidence. I'm also too busy for something that serious.”

Jason’s lips twitch. However, before he can answer, something slides between their faces, making both of them lean back and look at whatever it is. The thing turns out to be a menu.

The menu is withdrawn, only to come back down and hit each of them in the head, quick and hard.

“This is a family restaurant, keep it PG,” Roy says. He lifts the menu in warning, then raises a hand to call over a waiter.

Jason rolls his eyes. He proceeds to pull back, arms and all. Dick pouts, yet doesn't protest. He settles on his seat and waits for the waiter to arrive. They order what looks like Roy and Jason’s usual food, and not half an hour later they are digging into the biggest portion of chicken wings Dick has ever seen.

It’s impossible to deny how good they are. Despite having late lunch earlier, Dick ends up eating nearly his whole portion. By the time he pushes his plate away and Jason and Roy finish his wings, Dick feels about to burst, high on ranch, and so not in a sexual mood anymore.

He glances over at Jason and finds him sprawled on the booth, looking as dazed as Dick feels. Looks like he’s not feeling very sexual either.

Roy lets out a grown, drawing Dick’s attention back to him. The redhead wipes at his mouth with a clean napkin, then speaks. “If you tell me it wasn’t worth it to come own to see today’s game, forget about me treating you, Dick,” he sentences.

“Tell him it wasn’t worth it. I’ll treat you instead,” Jason says from his semi-comatose state.

Dick rolls his eyes at the two of them, checks the prices on the menu left behind on the table, then slides several bills across the table. “I’m not letting anyone treat me. This is on me, for making this Friday night one of the most entertaining nights since I’ve been in Opal.”

“You’ve been that bored?” Jason asks.

“Not nearly as much as you’re probably thinking. Wally showed me some fun times back when I first arrived.” Bruce had too, the couple of times Dick had been over at his apartment. This was his first night of innocent fun, though, and it couldn’t have ended better. Well, it could, but he doesn't think either he or Jason is up to pushing the issue.

“As fun as tonight?” Roy wonders. He sounds skeptical.

Dick gives him his best innocent and bashful smile. “Yes, and no.”

“Then you should come back next week, and I can show you how much more fun it can get,” Jason says. Despite sounding absolutely serious, almost monotone, Dick doesn’t miss the teasing gleam in those deep and gorgeous blue-green eyes.

“Do I have to wait until next week?” Dick asks.

He doesn't get an answer right away, but he does get one over the course of the following week.

Turns out, Jason Todd is not an easy man to find.

Dick has Saturday off, but he tries to at least see Jason in the ER the next two days. He stops by at the beginning and end of his shift, casually strolls through the emergency room, but there is no sign of Jason. It’s possible he’s not working, although Dick doesn't think that’s it.

Wednesday arrives, and Dick decides to stop making a fool of himself. He catches Roy in a hall, doesn't hesitate to voice his curiosity. Roy shrugs, his expression something Dick can't quite decipher. “Jason’s a bit of a workaholic, so you might not see him in the main room but he’s here nearly full time. Friday’s games are one of the few times when Jason stops to take a breather,” is the explanation he receives. It makes a whole ton of sense, which is why Dick thanks Roy for telling him and drops the subject. His curiosity regarding Jason is still there, and he’s quite giddy about Friday, but it’s nothing he can't control.

Much to his surprise, when Friday evening arrives, Jason is leaning against his locker when Dick steps in to grab his bag.

“Hey there, stranger,” Dick greets, and he can’t hide how taken off guard he is.

Jason flashes a devastating grin. “Hey. You’re coming tonight, aren’t you?”

“I’d planned on it, yeah.”

“You playing?”

“Nah, tonight I’ll just watch and cheer you on from the bench.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Ah, and here I was hoping we could share a shower or something after the games,” he says in the same serious tone Dick remembers from last Friday. He tries not to be affected by the voice or the words.

He fails.

His usual boldness flying to the surface, Dick relaxes, steps closer to Jason and grazes his fingers against the buttons of Jason’s polo. He tilts his head to one side in a perfect show of harmless curiosity. “Oh, were you, now?”

Jason considers him for a few seconds, ends up looking amused. “Hmm, but we can’t do it if you’re not going to get all sweaty with me in the court.”

It’s not the answer he expects, but it’s the one he wants, Dick thinks, and he can't help but feel utterly satisfied at Jason’s words. Not everyone takes well to Dick’s teasing, and even those who do don't get into Dick’s game as quick as Jason seems to be doing.

Dick likes him more than before.

Wanting to test the limits, Dick says, “Who says we can’t? As your new personal cheerleader, it’d be kind of my job to assist you after the games, whether you win or lose.”

“So you’ve declared yourself my personal cheerleader already.”

“I wasn’t going down to the court to cheer for anyone but you anyway.”

Dick takes Jason’s laugh as a clear indication of how much he liked and felt amused by his honesty. Jason doesn't ask any other questions. When Dick is ready to go, Jason drives them to the court.

Dick proves he’s better at cheering than playing. He’s got a loud voice, he knows how to interact with the crowd and he wants to annoy Jason and amuse himself. Roy is there too, which makes the situation even better. They team up and Dick manages not to think only about Jason but about how hilarious Roy is. Dick feels like he and Roy will have a wonderful relationship.

Sports night comes to an end after three games. To nobody’s surprise, the ER team has won the three matches by a landslide. Of course, Jason scored a good portion of those winning points. He’s shirtless once more as he approaches the bench, his shirt thrown around his shoulders, a triumphant smile on his face. Dick tosses him a water bottle and a fresh towel before sitting next to Roy, who high-fives Jason.

“You killed it out there,” Roy says.

“It was fun as hell, even if none of the teams had a good person marking me,” Jason replies. He gives Dick a pointed look. Dick wipes imaginary dust off his shirt.

Roy lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, you guys are getting it on already. I suppose I’m on my own for tonight’s after-party?”

“Go home and go cuddle with Donna and Lian, you idiot,” Jason scolds him. He slings an arm over Dick’s shoulder with ease, a familiarity that would indicate to any onlooker they’ve known each other longer than they have. Dick keeps on liking this man more and more.

“What did you think I mean by after party?” Roy retorts.

They share a good natured laugh. Ten minutes later, Dick is back in Jason’s car. When he asks where should they go, Dick’s answer is immediate: “Your place.”

“You afraid I’ll come back someday and murder you in your own home, Grayson?”

“I get the feeling you’re more the type that would throw toilet paper all over the house before even breaking a window.”

“Perceptive.”

Jason doesn't ask for clarification. Dick gives it anyway. “I don’t have a place of my own yet, just a couch and a bunch of rowdy kids.” He proceeds to explain his lack of a bed, his savings, how he’s finally moving into his own house in a bit over a month.

“So you’ve been painting it, furnishing the rooms and everything else since you got to Opal,” Jason says.

Here, Dick hesitates. He hasn’t talked with anyone about these sorts of details, not even with Wally, but that’s because he hasn’t mentioned them to anyone until now.

After mulling it over for a short while, Dick speaks. “Yeah, pretty much. Painting was done about two weeks ago. Furniture’s starting to come in.”

“Are you keeping a lot of things from… you’re from Gotham, right?”

“Yes. And no, I’m not keeping much apart from books and clothes and you know, whatever is not furniture.”

“No wonder it’s taken you this long to move in. It sounds like you’re rebuilding your dream home from scratch. You better be extremely proud of yourself.”

“I am,” Dick assures him. Jason smiles at him. The conversation turns back to lighter subjects and the easy flirting that seems to fit them like well-worn glove.

Dick kisses Jason the moment he locks the car’s doors. He’s met with a surprised chuckle, followed by arms wrapping tight around him. Dick can’t help but shiver upon feeling the strength in those arms, how solid Jason feels against him. He’s a big man, tall and wide and hard all. Dick loves it.

He doesn't mind the smell of sweat that clings to Jason’s skin. He doesn't pay attention where they’re going either. All he can focus on is Their lips brushing against each other’s, strong hands traveling down his body, exploring, discovering.

They reach Jason’s apartment and stumble inside. Dick’s blood roars in his ears, somewhere underneath his pants. The teasing continues between muffled laughter and intense kisses. Jason is a good kisser, without a doubt one in his top three, Dick thinks, then decides to put him in his top two after remembering Jason is driving him crazy only after a few minutes of kissing.

Jason loses his clothes somewhere in the hall. It’s not hard to get rid of the loose shirt and sweatpants. Dick does with the boxer briefs, made tighter by arousal. Nonetheless, Jason is fully naked by the time they make it into the bathroom and Dick pushes him into the bathtub. Thank God Jason has a bathtub.

Dick reaches for the soap and sponge before the water is even running.

“All right, super star, time to take care of you,” Dick murmurs, and proceeds to wash and enjoy every inch of Jason’s body, from the broad shoulders to the unfairly flat abdomen, the powerful thighs and the thick and heavy cock he wants deeper inside him the longer he stares at it. This man is beautiful, powerful. He’s so much Dick’s type he almost pinches himself to see if he’s not dreaming. Maybe he should open his mouth and let Jason fuck his mouth instead. You know. Because if everything vanishes before Dick gets to feel him down his throat then it really is a dream.

Jason turns the tables on him before Dick has a chance to test his little theory. With a whine of protest, Dick lets Jason press him against the wall, blinks past the water falling on both their heads.

“Might be a bit of a challenge if we go all the way here in the water,” Jason comments, hands roaming over his hips.

“If you’ve got some lube here in the bathroom, I’m sure we can make it work.”

Jason’s laugh trickles against Dick’s face. He shudders, can't help but moan when he catches Jason’s eye from such a short distance. Right now they’re so dark Dick isn’t sure he can call them turquoise anymore.

“Good,” he whispers. He manages a distracted nod, and that’s all the confirmation Jason needs.

Dick is eternally grateful Jason keeps more than enough lube in the cabinets under the sink. He’s also grateful for a whole other bunch of things, but without the lube, it might have been hard to feel grateful for everything else.

* * *

Jason is already out of bed when Dick wakes up the next morning. He notices Jason’s absence right away. However, he can’t bring himself to call out for him, much less get up. The mattress is firm, the sheets are soft and warm, not to mention how big and fluffy the pillows are. Dick seriously loves beds.

He’s starting to fall back asleep when Jason makes his way back into the bedroom. He’s fresh from another shower.

“Morning, Grayson,” he calls with a smile. He saunters over to his closet and pulls out a pair of jeans and a shirt without even looking. He grabs his socks and underwear with as much thought. He does skim over his several pairs of scrubs on the front side of his closet before picking a pair and folding it with great care into his backpack.

“Morning,” Dick mumbles. “You have a shift?”

“Yeah. I go in at nine.”

“What time is it?”

“Seven thirty-something.”

Dick groans, throws the sheets over his face. “How long does it take you to get to the hospital?”

“About fifteen minutes. I like to be early, though.”

Dick remembers what Roy said about Jason being somewhat of a workaholic. The fact Dick hadn’t seen him during the week plus the fact Jason was ready to leave for work over one hour before his shift started… it made sense.

Dick sighs, decides he might get up as well. He doesn't have a shift until the afternoon, but if Jason is leaving soon, he’s not staying in the apartment alone. “Do you eat breakfast before you go to the hospital?”

“Depends on what’s available in the fridge.”

Dick gets up without another word. He finds his clothes, puts them on and wanders out into the kitchen. He also takes the time to look around the apartment. It’s quite big, tidy, well-lit. If anything, it looks a bit empty. He hopes the kitchen isn't as empty as the living room and halls.

Bless Jason’s… whatever. The fridge isn’t, neither are the cabinets. Rubbing one eye with his fist, Dick goes on and about cutting bagels, spreading butter over them, making some nice and fluffy eggs and a pot of coffee. He isn't good at cooking, but breakfast food is no big deal.

Jason stares at the food when Dick places the plate in front of him on the counter. Dick laughs, and the sound is way louder and more melodic than his usual laugh. Dick blames it on the afterglow, the light throbbing down his back and how weak his legs still feel.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” Jason says, tone almost ironic. He gets out a fork, then shoots him a grateful look. “Thank you. I’m sure it’s delicious.”

Dick motions for him to eat. He serves two cups of coffee, asks how Jason takes it. By the time Dick turns around to hand Jason his mug, the food is almost completely gone.

Dick blinks. Then he laughs again. “Eating during a ten-minute breather or not eating for two shifts straight leaves a mark on you, doesn’t it?”

Jason almost chokes on his last piece of bagel. “Ten? Down at the ER we are lucky if we get five every other day.”

Dick winces, which makes Jason throw the crumbs in his plate at him. Dick jumps out of the way in time, gives him a triumphant salute with his cup.

Jason snorts. He glances down at his plate, and the amusement seeps out of his features. “You know you’re welcome to stay here even after I leave, right? You didn’t have to get up either. Not that I don't appreciate the food, because really I do.”

Dick hadn’t expected to hear an invitation. He hadn’t planned on staying either. Nonetheless, he can't deny the invitation is very nice and trusting of Jason. It takes Dick a few seconds to recover and find a decent answer. “And I appreciate the invitation just as much. Isn’t it kind of foolish to leave a relative stranger in your home, though?”

“All the important things are in my backpack, there’s not much you could steal from the place, apart from groceries,” Jason replies.

Dick shakes his head. “Aren’t you blunt.”

“I try.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

“You’ll stay?”

“Nah. I’ll go pick up my bag from yesterday and head out.”

“Are you sure? I really wouldn’t mind.”

“And that’s why I’m not staying. You’re… nice, Todd.”

“At least I could drive you home, if you wanted to. It’s not like I don't have time to spare,” Jason offers.

Dick thinks about it. The last person who’d offered him a ride had been Bruce. For obvious reasons, he’d declined. This isn’t Bruce’s apartment, however, and Jason is so not Bruce.

“Yeah, okay. I’d appreciate the ride home,” he caves in.

They head out not long after. They chatter on the way, yet neither of them brings up last night until the car is parked in front of Dick’s temporary home.

“I had an awesome night,” Jason says.

“So did I,” Dick agrees, and he couldn’t mean those words more. He debates whether to wait for Jason to say something else or if he should take the leap. In the end, he decides to go with the latter. “Would you be interested… in doing… this again? With me? The next full moon you’re free?”

Jason takes the teasing jab for what it is. He pretends to mull it over for one or two _eternities_ , then grins. “Absolutely. See you next Friday?”

“You bet.” Dick shoots a smile of his own before he gets out of the car and steps into the house. He finds a note on the kitchen table. It’s from all his roomies. It seems they picked up their things for the weekend to head out to the beach with their other friends. They won’t be back until Sunday night.

Dick sags with relief. Feeling more revitalized than ever, Dick grabs his own blankets. He proceeds to hunt down the cleanest room, flops down on the bed with a groan. His weekend just got a hundred times better.

* * *

Dick has a pretty easy week, what with Jason making him more than happy, having a bed on Saturday night and not working on Sunday. Wednesday rolls around. A patient celebrates her birthday the same day her baby girl is born. On Thursday, another small party is carried out for a patient who’s been at the hospital for almost two weeks due to complications with her and her triplets. The get-together is beautiful. Dick even gets a piece of cake.

He's eating it at the nurses’ station when he gets the surprise of the year.

“The cake looks good.”

He jumps a freaking mile upon hearing Jason’s voice. He glares at the smiling resident in front of him. “I almost got icing all over the table,” he mutters.

“Apologies.”

“I’m sure you mean it.” Dick points at him with his plastic fork. “To what do I owe the miracle? Is there a blue moon out there right now and I wasn’t aware?”

“Oh, will you shut up already.”

Dick bites into a piece of cake before pushing the plate towards Jason. Jason does eat a bite, then speaks. “The cake is pretty darn good,” he admits. “Anyway, about tomorrow.”

“Cancelling on me last-minute?”

“I wasn’t going to cancel, but if that’s what you want…”

Dick knows Jason’s not serious, which is why he lets the silence hang until Jason can't take it anymore and bursts out laughing. “No, seriously, Grayson. I wanted to ask if instead of going to the basketball court you want to go straight to my apartment.”

Dick drops his fork. Oh.

This is another invitation he hadn’t quite expected. At all. Not in a million years from the workaholic man that had made him see stars and nearly the entire galaxy. Still, he is glad Jason took the time to come here and… offer.

He could be nice about it. He could give a sweet and almost romantic reply. He could, but he knows he won't.

“You got a shift in the middle of the night and want to have some fun before coming back to the hospital?” he asks instead, makes sure to sound shocked and hurt at the same time.

Jason rolls his eyes so hard Dick almost goes into full condescending nurse mood for a second.

“No, I actually don't have a shift on Friday night or Saturday at all,” he says.

“You look like you’d rather have said shifts.”

“Roy is forcing me to take a day off. He tries it at least once a month.”

“Let me guess. Unlike us normal people, you don't take a day off every week. Instead, if it’s possible, you work the longest shifts back-to-back, twenty-four/seven.”

“Ah, I see Roy already tried to make me look bad in front of you.”

Dick props his elbow on the desk, his chin on his fist. He gives Jason a look from top to bottom. “I doubt anything could make you look bad, Todd. I think it’s ridiculous but admirable that you’re so dedicated to your job.”

“What can I say. I love what I do, weirdness included, and I haven’t gotten to where I want to be yet,” Jason says with a shrug.

“You want to be head of ER?”

“Someday I’ll make it to hospital director, hopefully from a bigger hospital I’ll help build for the people who most need it,” Jason corrects somberly.

Dick’s expression softens. “I don't doubt you’ll make it.”

“I don't doubt it either.” Jason raises an eyebrow. “I should be getting back to the ER soon, so I need an answer. We’ll head straight to my apartment after our shifts?”

“I’ll have the wine and lube ready to go. Got any favorites?”

“Can’t go wrong with a classic red, and the chocolate delight they sell in Walmart is pretty good.”

Dick had hoped the question would make Jason sputter. He’s weirdly satisfied it didn’t. “I’ll see you then, Todd.”

Jason pats the table and shoots him a grin before disappearing down the hall. Dick finishes his cake and go makes his rounds. When his shift ends and he’s waiting for Wally to finish his own shift and drive him home, Dick pulls up the Walmart website. They have chocolate delight in stock.

The next morning, Dick stops by the first Walmart he sees on his way to the hospital. He also makes sure to get two bottles of nice wine. His backpack is somewhat heavy, and Wally makes a comment about the clinking sound when he sets his bag down. Dick laughs and gives him a wink before taking a deep breath and making his way to his floor.

It’s not a good day.

The maternity ward tends to be well-staffed, one of the reasons Dick is usually able to end and start his shifts without working overtime every single day. This morning, however, it seems catastrophe has hit. There are six nurses missing, four due to a seminar Dick hadn’t heard about, one had problems with her car while driving her children to school, and the other had a court appointment. Now, had it not been for the tremendous car crash bringing in two pregnant women for emergency delivery and one of the residents fainting mid C-section, the situation would have manageable. As it is, it’s not the best day, and he only manages to make it out of the hospital almost three hours after his shift ends. He hasn’t had time to call or alert Jason in any way. He’s both mortified and embarrassed and at a loss on how to apologize to Jason when he stumbles into the locker room. He does not expect to find Jason, coat and scrubs still on, inside the room.

Dick comes to an abrupt halt. “Hey!” he greets, because he has no idea what else to say.

Jason smiles at him, takes his coat off and folds it into his backpack. “Hey. I hope you don't mind I'm stealing your locker room for a few minutes.”

“N-No, not at all.” He frowns. “A few minutes?”

Jason nods. He rolls his neck, then his shoulders. “I heard your ward was having a hard time, I figured you wouldn’t make it out on time, so I stuck around in the ER a couple extra hours. I was actually worried I’d totally missed you by the time Roy came to drag me out of the ER by the ear.”

Despite his exhaustion and somewhat of a foul mood, Dick manages a laugh. “And here I was thinking the same thing. It was a rough shift.”

“I saw two pregnant women. Are they okay?”

“Yes. They’re both stable and we got the babies out on time. They’re both in the NICU because both of them were still in their second trimester, though.”

“Will the babies make it?”

“I truly hope so.” Dick rubs at his eyes with the heels of his palms. “What about you? Tell me your day was better than mine.”

“It wasn’t better, but I can tell you that today Roy and I had to look over a patient who had swallowed a full bag of screws. We haven’t seen one of those in a while.”

“… How did he—”

“Let’s not even talk about it.”

Dick lowered his hands, let out another laugh. “Right. Let’s think about happy stuff, or at least not work. We have plans to carry out. Plans involving chocolate.”

“No shit. You actually went and got some?”

Dick goes to his locker, pulls out his own backpack and gives it a good shake.

Jason grins. “I knew I liked you for more than your pretty face.”

“I do like a backhanded compliment now and then.” Dick rolls his eyes, hefts his bag onto his shoulder. “Shall we?”

Dick’s plan –and Jason’s too, probably– of getting to Jason’s place and having some wild, de-stressing sex gets ruined before they even make it to the apartment, and it’s all his fault. How pathetic is it that he doesn't realize he’s falling asleep in the car until they’ve reached Jason’s parking space and he startles awake to realize he’d missed the whole journey there.

His face burns with embarrassment as he stumbles out of the car and tries to gather his dignity. He knows he's pouting by the time Jason comes around with both their backpacks over his shoulder.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“Why?”

“I’m tired.”

“And that’s a crime?” Jason nods towards his apartment building before starting to walk towards it. Dick rubs his face with his palms, takes a deep breath and follows him.

“Sorry,” he says again when he catches up to Jason.

Jason looks at him over his shoulder. He rolls his eyes. “Don’t apologize. You’re tired, what about it? We don't necessarily have to have sex right now. Hell, Dick, we don't have to do anything in particular. It was a tough day at the ward and you’re tired. It happens.”

“Do you ever get tired?”

“I would say no, but I know you’ll end up asking Roy and finding out I’ve fallen asleep on my feet working… ‘too long’. Apparently.” Jason shrugs, changes the subject. “You still haven’t moved into your own house yet, have you?” Dick shakes his head. “Great. Take a shower when we go inside and take a nap. We’ll figure out the rest later”

Honestly, Dick is… touched by Jason’s relaxed and kind words. Much like his offer at the hospital, his words now make Dick’s chest feel warm. Comfortable. He really likes Jason.

“All right,” he gives in.

He does take a shower once they’re inside Jason’s apartment. He has an extra change of clothes in his bag, so he puts them on after his shower, decides to take out the wine and leaves the lube inside. He ambles out of Jason’s room in clean clothes and holding out the bottles. He’s feeling better now, although not up to have sex. It’s a pity, he thinks with a grimace

“How about we down one of these?” he asks. Jason is stretched out on the sofa, but he sits up when Dick walks out of the room. The TV is on, and he’s already placed several bowls of snacks on the coffee table.

“I thought you were taking a nap,” Jason says.

“I have enough energy left to watch some Netflix and actually chill. Besides, you weren’t going to eat all that on your own, were you?”

Jason’s lips twitch. He gets up and goes into the kitchen, comes back with two wineglasses. He sits down, holds one out to Dick.

“Pour,” he instructs.

Dick pours. Two and a half wineglasses later, he falls asleep against Jason’s shoulder.

He doesn't wake up until early the next morning, only to find himself on top of a soundly asleep Jason. They’re still on the couch. Jason is drooling the tiniest bit.

Dick thinks it’s adorable. Nowadays, he doesn't use the word ‘adorable’ on a whim.

Incapable of holding back a snort, Dick wipes at Jason’s mouth with the back of his hand. He does it as lightly as he can, very careful as to not wake him. In the end, his efforts are futile. Jason startles awake the moment Dick presses his thumb against the corner of his mouth.

Dick is left staring into sleepy eyes that make Dick think about the Caribbean seas. Jason’s got some pretty eyes. Long eyelashes too. And Dick shouldn’t be paying so much attention in the first place to silly details like those, should he?

Taking a deep breath, he decides to focus not on Jason’s eyes but on other aspects of him that are just as interesting. Dick focuses on the strong arms wrapped around his waist, the solid feeling of Jason’s leg between his own, the hard and warm chest he feels under his forearms, the press of something already hard against his hip.

This is the reason why he’s here in the first place. This is what he should focus on, this and the chocolate-flavored lube still in his bag.

He’s about to ask whether Jason’s up to doing anything right now. Before he gets a chance, thick yet nimble fingers tangle in his hair, pull his face upward, and then Jason’s lips are pressing against his own, hard.

“Morning, Grayson,” Jason whispers when that first contact ends.

“Jason,” Dick replies. That’s as far as he gets. Next thing he knows, Jason is flipping them over and kisses him again.

Dick loses the few coherent thoughts he’d managed to gather in the last two minutes. Jason’s lips against his own feel wonderful, like just the thing he needs first thing in the morning. It’s intense, passionate, rough. Dick couldn’t ask for anything else.

As it turns out, they do end up using the chocolate delight that morning. Dick doesn't remember when or how they managed to get it out of his bag, which had been in the bathroom. All he remembers is the sweetness of the flavor and the smell, and he has to admit Jason’s taste is impeccable, in more ways than one.

* * *

The last three weeks of summer fly by in a mix of ecstasy and his usual exhaustive shifts. No other resident faints during deliveries, which makes his work a lot easier and a bit more boring. One rookie nurse does have a breakdown in-between shifts, but it’s nothing Dick can't help her through sitting under the nurses’ station big desk. The night that happens, Jason comes and finds him with an arm wrapped around the young girl. Much to Dick’s surprise, Jason ends up sitting next to them and sharing a few of his experiences. They don't talk much about work when alone, so Dick makes sure to pay close attention and tries to remember nearly every word.

Ecstasy happens during other –and most– nights they’re together. Jason keeps on having the strictest schedule Dick has ever seen a medical professional have, which says a lot, considering Dick knew Bruce’s schedule by heart for years. Still, it’s not like Dick minds. Their weekends together end up bleeding into quickies in-between shifts every so often. Some of their weekends go by without any sex at all. Instead, they hang out at Jason’s apartment, catch up on sleep, take short walks around the place or simply lounge around. The pattern that settles between them is so comfortable, so relaxed and pleasant Dick can't help but walk around with a nearly permanent smile.

Wally notices, and although he seems extremely amused by it, he doesn't say much. All Dick gets are several catcalls, snorts, encouraging texts and several comments along the line of, “How awesome is that you found someone you fit with so well? It’s very awesome! You better be enjoying yourself to the fullest, Grayson.”

Dick does enjoy himself to his heart’s content as the first three weeks of fall settles over Opal and the weather becomes much more bearable and similar to Gotham’s year-round cold climate. He does enjoy the clearer skies Opal has to offer, along with the leaves that actually change color. Gotham is always so grey Dick doesn't actually remember seeing all the yellows and oranges and browns in the trees across from the hospital. They’re beautiful, and Dick can't stop staring at them. There’s a smile on his face, his phone is tightly clutched in his hand. His opinion on the trees might be influenced due to the good news he’s just received.

He hears footsteps close behind him, but he doesn't pay them any mind. He’s standing in the hospital’s parking lot, employees come and go all the time, after all. If anything, he should probably get out of the way, if the person he hears is coming to pull out their vehi—

“Are you all right?”

… That’s the last voice he expected to hear.

Dick turns around, raises both eyebrows at Bruce, who now stands shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun, his car keys clutched in one hand.

“Hey,” is all he replies. It’s been a while since they last saw each other, haven't they? Probably since Bruce suggested he go down to see the basketball games.

“Hello.” Bruce frowns, then repeats, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I saw you come out like half an hour ago, it looked like you were talking on your phone. I didn’t think much of it, but I came out and found you still out here staring off into space. I thought maybe something had happened.”

“How very observant of you.”

Bruce sighs. “Is everything okay?” he tries again.

Yeah, actually it is. Or rather, everything is… great.

Dick nods, allows a smile to reform on his face. “It’s all going extremely well,” he says. He ponders for a moment, whether to share the good news with Bruce or not. No one but Jason knows about the process of his house, certainly not Bruce, so Dick doesn't own him any sort of explanation or clarification.

Yet… would it be bad to share the good news with him?

Bruce lingers. When was the last time Dick had seen him do such a… human and insecure thing? “I’m glad,” he says eventually.

Oh, to hell with it.

“I’m moving,” he says, and he knows he’s beaming. When Bruce’s expression falls, Dick bursts out laughing.

“You haven’t been in Opal for even a year.” Bruce picks his jaw up from the ground and scowls. “If there is trouble in your ward or with someone on the staff I am sure I can take a look into—”

“Being the head of neurosurgery does have its benefits, doesn't it?” Dick interrupts. He shakes his head, a wistful smile on his face. Bruce held too much power back in Gotham General, and it looks he does here too. Dick knows it’s not due to anything but hard work, discipline and nerves of steel. He finds it amusing anyway.

“There’s no trouble in my ward. It doesn't have anything to do with my job either. In fact, I’m not moving out of Opal City. I’m just moving into my own home,” Dick announces. God, he’s longed to say that for how long now?

Bruce looks confused. “You weren’t living in your own place already? I knew your housing arrangements weren't ideal, but not this bad.”

“Nope. I was rooming with a bunch of college kids. I’ve been sleeping on a couch since I got here.”

“… And you didn’t think to share that minor detail before? For heaven’s sake, Dick, how many months has it been? With how demanding our work is—”

“Hey,” Dick interrupts again, deciding to stop him before Bruce gets all riled up. He will admit it is nice to see him worry for once. It’s kind of endearing, and sad it doesn't affect him anymore. Two years ago, Dick might have made the most out of this opportunity. “It wasn’t any of your business, and it doesn't matter anymore. Even if the other rooms are barren, I’m sleeping in a bed in my own room today,” he adds.

Bruce’s frown deepens. His hands fist at his sides, and Dick can see the familiar struggle of trying to speak and not knowing how to do it.

“I’ll help you move in,” Bruce mutters after a few seconds.

Ah. Nice try. No fucking way.

“Wouldn’t want to mess up your tight schedule, Dr. Wayne. I know how much you hate deviating from your routine. Thank you for offering, though” Dick says with a shrug. He smiles at Bruce once last time and moves past him, back into the hospital as he tries to shake off the thoughts. Having Bruce there is such a no-no that the mere idea makes his nose wrinkle. This house is his in every way, the product of his hard work and everyone who worked on renovating and cleaning up the place. It is going to be his space, his fresh start in Opal, and Dick doesn't want to share those feelings and thoughts with Bruce. He doesn't want Bruce in his space. He doesn't want Bruce to be part of this experience.

That doesn't mean he wants to do this alone, though.

Instead of returning to his ward right away, Dick makes a small detour for the pediatric ward. It doesn't take him long to locate Wally, share the news and receive a very enthusiastic hug in response. Wally says he’ll be there for sure this weekend and help whenever he can. Dick ends up feeling emotional and giving him another hug. When he’s done there, he makes his way to the ER.

He finds Roy first, gives him a brief rundown of the situation and the cause for his good mood. Roy congratulates him with very hard and hearty pats on the back and asks him if it’s okay if his wife and daughter tag along. They can get some barbecue going after they’re all done carrying in boxes and stuff! Dick agrees, given there’s no need to move furniture, mostly his personal belongings, and also because he’d like to meet Roy’s family. Once Dick is done with Roy, he goes in search of Jason.

So far he’s asked Wally and Roy if they’re available to help him on the weekend, but he wants to ask Jason something else.

He finds the resident talking to a couple of nurses, and it doesn't take long for Jason to notice him and excuse himself. The moment Jason is standing in front of him, both eyebrows raised, Dick smiles.

If there’s one man Dick would like to share this experience with, from start to finish, it’s Jason.

“Got time tonight to help me move into my new bedroom tonight?” he asks.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, this is part of a "series" I poured my heart into, which is another reason why I'm uploading this fic again. The original notes said I had another fic planned with Conner. 
> 
> Who knows tho. Might end up with another Jason part, or might end here We'll see where my head takes me lol. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, even tho it's an old story :3


End file.
